Ampoule and method of making it



Sept. 29, 1942. H. WHEA TON, "JR 2,297,335

' I AMPOULE AND METHOD OF MAKING IT Filed April 21, 1959 s Sheets-She et1 V I I 71 IIIIIIIIII/IIIIJ P 1942- F; H. WHEATON, JR 2,297,335

AMPOULE AN D METHOD OF MAKING IT Filed April 21, 1-939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Spt. 29, 1942- F. H. WHEATON, JR: 2,297,335 I V AMPOULE AND METHODMAKING IT Filed April 21, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 29, 1942UNITED s AT Es PATENT oFFICa AMPOULE AND METHOD F MAKING r'r FrankHQWhea'ton, Jr;', Mlllville, N. J., jassi gnor to" T. C. Wheaton Co.

ration of New Jersey Millvllle, N, J., acorpog I Application April 21,19 39 Serial No. 269,095 I c1a1ms. (01. 4 9-84 A further purpose, is tocheapen' the. manu-.

factureoi large ampoules. 1

, A further purpose is to draw' the-top of: hot bottle stock into a stemto form an ampoule, performing the operation while the bottle stock is.still hot from blowing and adding heat as g may be desired or needed tomaintain the part drawnat a suitable, temperaturesor to heat it to adesirable higher-temperature than that to which itmay have cooled, ortovary the point [at which the drawingtakes place by distribution of thedrawing over the length of the shoulder and/or neck. Y I

,A further purpose is to provide some stock I and to stretch the necksand permissibly the shoulders of the bottles into tapered stems at theends of which the ampoules 'are ultimately to be flfied and by thebreaking of which the ampoules are made-available for withdrawal ofcontent.

A further purpose is to permit ampoules of large capacity to be madeshorter andoi larger A further-purpose is to thicken the stem of anampoule at a constriction for breaking uses. 7

A further purpose is to form double-stemmed ampoules by formingnecksoneclosed-'at both ends of a blown bottle .and drawing *out bothnecks. y "1 1 A further'purpose is to facilitate manufacture of ampoulesof irregular shape.

- -A further-purposeisto-form the-outer edges v of the shoulders ofampoules and/or thev shoulders with a glass thickness comparable" withthat ofv corresponding bottles, permissibly equal to or greater thantheglass of the ampoule bodies.

.A further purpose is to provide for marking,

and decoration, as well, as strengthening of a particular parts ofampoules by initially blowing these partswithin molds, permittingnames,figures, and'othe r decoration as vwellas strengtheningthicknesses'to beapplied during the'blowing operationjas in the case ofbottles.

The invention relates to the. methods involved. As at present generallyconstructed, ampoules are made from glass tubing by stretching thetubing to produce tapered stems with or without tool-formed spear heads.Thestems may be formed at bothends or at one end only. In the diameterthan at present permissible, since the drawing or stretching will takeplace from the neck diameter and not from the body diameter;

The ampoule thus has a larger base, lower center of gravity and shorterstem, all combining with I the betterbase to produce a more stable aswell as a stronger ampoule.

A further purpose is to permit the same choice in ampoules ofcomposition, quality and character of glass and variety in the shapeanddistribution of the thickness of the glass, particlatter event thetubing is closed to form a bottom at the other'end of each; Whetherfeornetthe ends of thereduced stems are to be'constricted to form, spearheads] makes no. diil'erence, from the standpoint of the invention.

As the size of the ampoules increases the commercial desirability ofmanufacturing from tubing is afiected by increase in the cost of thetubing; which increase is" out of all proportion to the increase in thesize of the tube used.

ularly shoulders and neckswhich are to be stretched into stems-thatislnowexercised in the production of bottles. I

A further purpose is to thicken the, walls of ampoul-e stems and shortenthem as compared with the existing art by reducing the initial diametersof the walls from which they are drawn as compared with the diameters ofthe b dies of the ampoules. v

A further purpose is to controlthe ultimate thickness of the walls ofthe reduced ends of ampoules by control of the thicknesses'of the bottlenecksfrom which the ampoules are constructed.

Formanufacture of smallampoules glass tubing forms an excellent'base orstockfboth because of its regularity, which is important in ampoules ofvery small diameter, and because o'fthe cheapness of small tubing.However, even inthis case the formation oil fiat bottomsirom the tubingis apt to introduce considerable irregularity in the bottoms of theampoules;

It is apparent that the stretching or drawing out of a tube reduces itsthickness and that if the operation be a purely lengthening operationthisjreduction in thickness begins at the point where the -'fulldia'meter of the tube is first reduced. Consequently the thickness ofthe stem will be reduced as compared with the thickness of the tubewall.

In addition to the thinning where the tube is reduced from full tubediameter the necessity for drawing the tube always involves extra gasically referred to as bottles,- ;to.forrn taperedstems terminating inpoints, theampoulesithus produced being made up in part of the blownbottle stock" and inpart of stretched stems The invention oiiers thegreatest benefitin ampoules of medium and large sizes. It offersadvantages also in strength and adaptability to varied needs anddesiresin use.

The blown bottle stock" may be of existing.- bottle types, whetherhand-blown or machine blown, selected as appropriate for the drawing orstretching operation in order ultimately to produce the ampoules of theinvention, in which case the method of manufacture need not go back ofthe selection and use of existingtypes of bottles for the stock. On the:other hand the stock may be blown-bottles of special size, thickness,distribution of glass, size or thickness a V V In the practiceof'the'broader invention I of neck or shoulder, compositio'nfor othercharacteristic suited to the construction ofthe {ampoules, in which casethe method of manufac-i ture of such ampoules may start with the blow-.ing ofthe bottles.

matapwlut of increasing the diamete'r of' the'body for a givencapacityof ampoule 'while maintaining anypredetermined size'of "neckan'dI hence convenient length'of stem permits short- I ening both thebody-and the shame! the ampoule -ah'd broadening its base." Itwill'ithus changefrorn'an am poule that mustbe laid on its side orsupported'ina receptacle to a shorter one of -larger'diameter whichrests 'upon the bottom as does a: bottle and which is stable againstupsetting, .7

' ause I start with blown stock I ain able to' take advantage of allmeans available in requirein the case of a tube.- 2

. I have preferred to illustrate thefinveintion by afew simple forms andwith -but- -two1machinesbywhich the methods-can.becarried out.

Figure 1 is' a' longitudinal section and partial elevation of. a bottlewhich has just beenblown in a'm old, and before finishing the neck.

Figure 2 is an'elevation, of the same bottle after themeck flange hasbeenformed'showin'g also structureby. which'it can be hand stretched.Figure 3 is an elevationaof the bottle pr Figure 2 after the neck andpart of the shoulden'have been stretched. 1 r r Figured is an elevationofflthe 'structurefof' Figure 3 after-Pit; has'ib'eentooled to form, a"spear Figure i n' elevation of an ampouleloi' the v I general ype ofFigure4 showing a fuller stem.

' Figure; 6 is an elevationpartly sectionedshowing a bottle having"thickened .shoulders and neck.

Figure '7 is an ele'vation' 'to slightly enlarged scale, partlysectioned, of a bottle having a'neck of hour-glass type.

Figure 8 is an elevation, partly sectioned, showing the neck asconverging.

Figure 9 is-an elevation partly sectioned o! a bottle of special shapehaving necks at both 5 ends, one of themclosed.

Figure lis a front elevation partly sectioned of abottle intended foraspecial form of stopp'ered seal.

Figures 11 and 1-2 are an end elevation and a lo side elevation partlysectioned, respectively, of

a machine for stretching the necks and shoul- 1 ders ofbot'tlesto formampoules.

Figure 13 .isflfa fragmentary section on line l3-l'3 of Figure 12. 15"Figure 14 is a side elevation, partly sectioned, showingotherr'nechanism for the same purpose. In the drawings similar numeralsindicate like parts. The contour, particularly the longitudinalcross-section of the shoulder and drawn reduced end (stem) of an'ampoule affords opportunity for wide variation-due to the' diiferentthiclmesses of the glass and different neck diameters and shoulders.

.softenthe'necks'and permissibly also the shoulders of thebottles toa'point where they can .,be drawn. "Injorder ;to conserve heat as muchas possible Itake the 'bottles directly after they have-been blown,i.'e.,--assoon as th'e'bottles have solidified and can be handled.

Where-it is' desired that thick spear heads shall befformed-and thestems are to'be thickened' atthe spear heads'i'pr'ovide extra glass forthis thick'ening either by initial thickening of the necks'or shouldersfrom which these parts of the stems are formed, or I soften a largerarea in order from it to provide the additional thickness beforetooling.

40 The character of the stems produced will dependupon many factorsincluding the diameters of the necks and shoulders before stretching,the thicknesses and kinds of glass and the lengths ofthe-sections madeplastic and stretched. 4' "The lengths, diameters and strengths of thestems are capable of control by manipulating the factors above, usinglarger neck diameters i urev 4, to much-fuller and thicker stems,

of'which oneis seen-in Figure 5 p 3 15 used 'as'stockt; It is withinaJmold l6, just having been separatedirom a"punty"-;'rod. Its 3 neck'hasnot-beeniflnished; Figure 2 thebottle comprises outehbody iwalls n; bot-;;1tom}'il', shoulder- J8, heck?il 'and iieck flange 2|. v notconvenience in'referencethejshoulder and: neck aremagenta"w-togemrgascomprising the top ofthe and as'hereinafternioreclearly pointedfiout'the operations""describd may be performed :upon the shoulder or theneck, or

- portions of either or both of them/additional "heat being applied asneeded either toZ -take the place of heat being dissipated or tocontrolthe 'place during anypart ofthe drawing operation by controllingthe relative plasticity of this part .7 asco'mpared'with the rest-of thetop of the'body.

It will be'obvious thatfthe stretchingof the neck. and permissibly--also'the'stretching-of a portion of the shoulder canjbe'effected'by handafter the glass shall have been softened over the area to be stretched.For the purpose of or areas madewplastic, for example, for large I andlong'stemsthanfor smalland short stems. 59 The stems may range fromcapillary forms, such In Figure i is shown an existing typeof bottlepoint atwhichdrawing wholly or, chiefly takes handling the "hot bottleiFigureid f Iishow a holder Hand, a handistretching tool- 23. plThe Hselective application of heat is rindicatedfl-byxgas nozzle 24 An airl'alast',cooiing, means to con-' Y triol stretching, at individual PQiQtS aHd t/OR cool the stem is shownvat 25.

Itis not-necessary ofcoursethatthia neck flanges of thebottlesintended,to-.-beystretched" I asecured theriouterzflarezoi" then'eck having to' be glass'i asinthecaseof.bottlesw gissiiown Theshoulder andneck ma-y be givenv extra thicknessilas ai;435511121131; Theindication of content ,-and; decoration-can ;be blown: in theInn-Figure- 7 amshoureglass neck @38 :with :3. -:very small opening. 7If the. outer part only, x39; .be softened va'plong fine stem will be=overome byjfs'tretchin'gabefore @{the diameter of theistem interiorbegins-mo become; smallerlxthan rthatiof'gthe'initialzthroatglmTIapering injthe neck and from theinner part .of the" shoulder; at usethat the contour biendsnicelywiththe outer (larger) portion- :28=;of theshoulder.

suitable means such as a gas flame .orlwby 13 6-.

tating discz30. Bothof these are commonin the 'art.

The form left by the cutting,cornprises avcoma v pleted ampoule unlessit -be-desiredeto':malkdspcial provisionfor breakingin which ca'se th'estem is. tooledfat 3| (Figured) to formya spearhead form which isstillregarded=as-a-stem.;

The" stem is then cut at some such.point;as-i29";by any to gpermitblowing. Each of these necks lepro- .ividedtwithtaanecki'flange2 I; anrl'thetwo-ends can 1 be :h-stretched coincidentally it or separately afterv -sottening; xm he'imannerindicatedbherein;' 1 '1 .I'v

ropposite :direction; a satil I Eigure:;8)1 increases;.the'=contractionand-shortens the stem;

Where ;-st'erns1 are to be -provided; at both ends thei xampoule (Figure59) my 'invention I is ap- The-:ampoule is-suppliedtor'thettradeawitlr-itsi I end 32 open. Subsequently this .e'ndfissealedin" any appropriate'manner.

In Figureb a very 'much'"larger.jandifuller stern is shown, the'ampoulei ofzthefigurg havingstem 26' and tooled (spearhead) 'breakingcontrac'tion 31'. The forms of- Figures 4 andgfi aref noti'zintendedto'shoW-"limits; 'butraremerelyJillustra- J? tions .torgiveii some idea?thata varietyyof product isfavailable, 'i'o'nwhich mylinve'ntion istsuited andtor which itofl'ersconsiderable.advantage].-' j w The;thickness of tubing usediand present-in the existing, methods oftmanufacture of the larger cient to 1 stand :drawing sizes of ampoules is;I v out into stems, butvthe cost of larger tubingwisa the cost ofproducing them 'f'rom bottles.

csothatith st Iiiriinaryheat- Whatever the of the tubing 'to formthe'end's offthe'tubing-into A stems require a considerableamount-oftimeqon (if account of the extent ofreductionxnecessary,

but there is a corresponding additionalheat costto soften theIargerdiameterarid'toimaintainthe end of the tubingsoftduring"theoperationsv-of drawing out and tooling.

With the presentinven'tiorr the drawing or L stretching operation canbegin with anydianieter desired, as this'mearis merely-themanufacture ofthe bottle with a neckof thefdiarrieteri"neede Where thickness ofstemPwalls is' 'an b'jectitl neckcan be made -corresporuzlingl'y-i thicWhether the neck alone-befintended m be;

drawn out or the neck and shoulder beiintended both to be stretched,is;a-matter inlargeineasure' vof choice ofthe manufacturer to secure-:just the contour desiredandito controlrthe length; andjdie ameter of thestem;

I recognize that thec'ontour jof -the section drawn may be controllednot only by selection f of the area heated; or additionally;.heated tocontrol the parts flfrom 'which .thestem is drawn,

the cooling nozzle at 25. e i t v Figure 6 is inserted for thepurposesoflteachi 75 Jm ay- J be revolveqf;alternatively aswdsiljedgithe 7 B aebbtfle as b otated or ithejfifinie the bottle stock .vmay be reinforcedin any way ides ir edzas'byrringsxor bands? andi35'. I

structure has been shown for both types of operation.

In Figures 11; 12 and 13 mechanism is shown which is intended to rotatethe bottle and the' neck flange independently and at the same rate. Thframe 48 rests upon a suitable base and supports a. bearing 49 bybracket 50 and also sup-- ports'bearing The'bearing 49 carries a shaft52 and a bevel gear .59. Gear '59 is rotated by a mating: bevel gear 54upon shaft 55 which rests inbearing 5i.

.The shaft 55.carries a pulley 56, keyed to the .shaft and driven by asuitable belt. It also carries a sliding clutch member: 51 splined tothe shaft, and cooperating witha clutch member 58 v which freely rotatesupon the shaft when the clutch is disconnected. Clutch 5!! is rigid withpulley 59 whose crossed belt ill in turn drives a pulley 6| upon-a shaft82.. The slidingclutch is thrown by a lever. .63 pivoted at 64 and yokedat 65 to engage pins upon clutch member 51., t v I I The shaft 52 ismounted from the'base 66 in -.bearings 81 and GI and carries a bevelgear 69 v;mesl iing,with a bevel gear 10 upon a shaft H.

Theshaft II has bearing .in the base-and drives a .plate 12 upon whichis mounted'a suitable ,chuck 13 holding successively bottles 14.

The bottles are inserted in the chuck by hand They are capable of, beingfitting within recesses .in the straddling lever, so

slopes 9| upon. the lower ends of the clutch members 15 andTlL theweight of the parts drawing them together about the neck of the bottleafter they have slipped over the neck flange. I

Heating of the. rk'or neck and shoulder of the bottle is 'eifectedfiiggas supply nozzle 92 and areas which stretch-too much, relatively toother areas can be controlled by moderate cooling through the use thanblast nozzle 93.

The operation of the device is as follows: A hot bottle is placed inchuck I3 and the frame is lowered by means of lever 9| until the undertapered surfaces of lower clutch ends 15 and 16 separate engagement withthe neck flange and close again below it. The bottle, which retains asmuch heat as practicable from the blowing operation is then heated byblast from supply 92 along the area which is intended to be stretchedit. is plastic, the parts meantime being rotated'by gears 53, 54 and 69,ID. The connections are such that the chuck and clutch members rotateat-the same speed. 1

When the bottleneck is sufllciently softened for the drawing operationthe lever 8| is lifted and the neck is drawn. During or after thedrawing operation. the flame through gas pipe 92-is reduced or. ;,cutoff; and air is applied .through pipe 99 irit' be desired to chillportions "of the area'whichis being drawn so as to slow the drawingoperation at these portions on each,

or, after the operation, to cool the glass as quickly as may be safe sothat the ampoule may be re- ;moved. At the upper limit of lifting of theframe by lever 9I the lower wedge end 90 of shaft 52 separates the leverends 15 and I6. I

In the construction of Figure 14 the frame '94 mounts'guides "and 96 inwhich hollow shaft .97 is movable vertically between'limits set by athatlifting and lowering of the lever,acting.

e sleeve 89 surrounds the frame and, in vertical position, lies betweencollars 85 and 86 which are fastened to and rotate with the frame 89.Lifting and lowering end 81 of the lever ll therefore lifts and lowersthe frame "and with it the jaws I5 and I6.

The construction is such that'the shaft-rotates and in rotation carriesthe frame with it,-but the frame, though carried rotarily by the shaft,

' can move up and down upon the shaft.

The two collars are rigid with the frame and hence both rotate and liftwith it.

Between the two collars lies the nonrot'atable sleeve, surrounding theframe and, by engagethrou'gh these trunnions, lifts and lowers thenon-rotatable sleeve ll.

collar 98 secured to the shaft at the top and thewalls of a slot 99,which walls slide over pin I90.

Thepin I00 holds in place an interior rod lfll at whose lower end islocated a clutch-releasing tapered nose 90. This nose operates upon thesame kind of a clutch and in the same manner at the upper end ofthehollow shaft movement ment with the collars, lifting the frame andlowering it or permitting it to lower.

The sleeve is lifted and lowered by lever 8| through the trunnions onthe sleeve.

' The rotatable frame 80 lifts and lowers upon the shaft 52 at the sametime that the shaft and frame are controlled to rotate together by pin88, which'passes through the shaft and rides in slots 89 in oppositesides of the frame.

Becausethe'shaft 52 is lifted and lowered by the lever 8i, the movementof the frame and of ofthe grooves, trig: may additionally s ,i I meagainst the other. The vtwo grooves toget the frame-carried clutch levermembers permits release of these lever members at the upper end of thestroke of the"fr'ame.; the release being effected by engagement of theupper arms 18 and IS-of the clutch members with the tapered lower end 90of the shaft 52. Engagement with the neck flange in the lowered positionof the parts is effected by gravity by forming guiding as in the case ofFigures 11, 12, and 13. Clutch members I02 and I03 are pivoted at I94and present upper ends I05 and I96 for release of the. clutch when atthe upper ends of their movement they engage nose 90.

The shaft is lifted and lowered by lever [01 pivoted at I08 andconnected with the hollow shaft at I09.

The disc H0 is,. supportedabout the shaft by a bracket l l I, Itdoe'shot rotate. A circular groove H2 in the low ace of thenon-rotatable i seals between the edges the faces of the two discsgroove inv the 'lowe disc- H0. -A gasket thus form a continuous gassupply for revolting gas pipes lil terminating in nozzles iljf'connecting with groove H5 in the lower rotating disc, The arrangementis effective to heat the section of the bottle which is to be madeplastic; The area heated and made plastic may be varied, as by bendingthe pipes Ill or by variatior ifin the height of the bottle. In the formof 11, 12 and 13, of course, the height of thelfiameand its angle of im-'sumes.

and stretching both said reheated end and reduring the stretchingoperation,

The disc IN carries an upwardlyiextended sleeve H9 which surrounds thehollow shaft and has bearing against it near opposite ends, in whateververtical position the hollow pipe as- The sleeve is supported by thedisc H through a bearing comprising cones I20 and I'll located upon thedisc and upon the sleeve respectively, and balls between. The height isadjusted by the position of threaded cone l'2l and is locked bythreading a nut upon the sleeve. No separate nut is shown as a pulleyI23 serves this purpose.

The pulleyl23 is located at the upper endof the sleeve. It is driven bybelt I24. The height of the bottle may be adjusted by the use ofdifferent heights of chucks or holders 13 as is true also in the form ofFigures 11, 12 and 13, simplifying the construction. This is preferredfor the reason that it is then not necessary to use any of the commonmeans of adjustment by raising the height of the table.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications tomeet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evi-- dentto others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits ofmy invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore,claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit andscope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I pingement can be varied byhand before or/and' heated neck to form elongated ampoule stems,

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In the art of manufacture of glass ampoules,

the method which comprises molding a body in the shape of a bottlehaving a bottom and an open neck from a mass of molten glass by ablowing operation and within a'rnold, reheating the neck and stretchingsaid reheated neck to form an elongated ampoule stem open at its end.

2. In the art of manufacture of glass ampoules,

the method'which comprises molding a body in the shape of a bottlehaving a bottom, a shoulder and an open neck from a mass of molten glassby a blowing operation and within a mold, re-

and aneck from a mass of molten glass by a blowing operation, the neckbeing of greater thickness than that of the remainder of the body,reheating the neck and stretching the reheated neck to form an elongatedampoule stem open at its end. v

4. In the art of manufacture of glass ampoules, the method whichcomprises molding a body in the shape of a bottle having a bottom and anopen neck from a mass f molten glass by a blowing operation and within amold, reheating and stretching the neck and determining the length ofthe stem and the strength of the stem of the completed ampoule by thediameter of the neck.

5. In the art of manufacture of glass ampoules, the method whichcomprises molding a body of glass having a central portion, one closedend and an open neck at the other end, from a mass of molten glass, saidclosed end and open neck being smaller in cross section than saidcentral portion, by a blowing operation and within a' position of thestopper seat and stretching the mold, reheating both the closed end andthe neck one open at'itsend;

.6. Inthe. art of manufacture of glass ampoules, the method whichcomprisesjmolding a bodyv in the shape of a bottle havinga bottom and anopen neck from fa mass of imolten glass by a blowing operation andwithin a mold allowing the bottle to cool, preheating the bottle,additio'rially heating the neck and stretching said additionally heatedneck to form an elongated ampoule stem open at its end.

7. In the art of manufacture of glass ampoules, the method whichcomprises molding a body in the shape of a bottle having a bottom and anopen neck from a mass of molten glass by a blowing operation, allowingthe shape blown to solidify and, before it cools appreciably, addingheat to the neck and stretching said reheated neck to form an elongatedampoule stem open' ing a stoppered closure and a tube of. larger di-.ameter extending beyond the stopper which com-' prises molding a body inthe shape of a bottle having a bottom and a neck internally flared froma diameter suitable for the stopper to a diameter larger than thelargest diameter of the stopper to form a stopper seat by a blowingoperation from a mass of molten glass, reheating the portion only of theflared neck lying beyond the reheated portion of the flared end of theneck progressively to contract said portion of the neck intoapproximately a cylindrical shape.

10. The method of forming a glass ampoule having a stoppered closure anda tube of larger diameter extending beyond the stopper which comprisesmolding a body in the shape of a bottle having a bottom and a neckinternally flared from a diameter suitable for the stopper to a diameterlarger than the largest diameter of the stopper to form a stopper seat,by a blowing operation from a mass of molten glass, tooling the part ofthe neck intended to receive the stopper to form a stopperseat,reheating the portion only of the flared neck lying beyond the positionof the stopper seat and stretching the reheated portion of the flaredend of the neckprogressive- 1 ly to contract said portion of. the neckinto approximately a cylindrical shape. a

11. A glass ampoule comprising a body, bottom and top molded from moltenglass by a blowing 13. An ampoule having a body of uniform diameter, abottom, a shoulder free from stretching at the junction with the bodyand a neck, all molded from molten glass by a blowing operationandwithin a mold, the neck being stretched subsequently to form a drawnstem.

:the 'Stopper. v

'15. 'A' glass -ampou1e having a body, bottom,

V tegral withthen'eokand largerm dialmeter than shoulder and-neckadapted to receive: stopper. -mo1ded from molten glass by a. blowingopera.-

tionan'd within a-mold, a. stopper for the neck and a drawn tubecontinuous with 'the neck, largerthmthe stopper and extending about andbeyond the stopper.

m 1:. WHEATON. J14.

